Cardinals raiding bird nests? (Tucson: home, buy, living)

[beTucsonan]

We have a number of dove nests around our property, and many of them have been raided and the eggs eaten. We suspected a snake or lizard, primarily, as the culprit, but I just caught a pair of Northern Cardinals raiding the nest in my livingroom window and eating the eggs ... a few google searches later and I'm even more perplexed since this isn't noted as normal cardinal behavior (example: Northern Cardinal, Life History, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology) - any ideas? Have I got a pair of oddball cardinals, or is this a known behavior that the internet has overlooked?

[Marcy1210]

Cardinals are seed, grub, insect eaters. It's possible that the dirty, filthy, dove nests have grubs or insects in them that attracts the Cardinals. The Cardinals may be moving the eggs to get the grubs or insects, and in doing so, break the eggs. Personally, I hate the doves. They are feeder hogs and I have to put protective covers on all my feeders for the song birds so the doves won't drain the feeders. They are messy, dirty, filthy birds. Especially the White Winged Doves that come up from Mexico in April and leave at the end of August. I do everything I can to discourage Doves from nesting on my property, as they poop all over everything and make for a very unsanitary yard for pets and children....

You can buy grubs or meal worms online for the birds that like them. Putting up a feeder for that purpose might keep the Cardinals away from the other birds' nests.

[beTucsonan]

Nah. The dove nests around our home are not bad at all. They seem clean - basic nests and for the most part well attended. We've seen a number of young ones grow up in our various sills and rafters and it's always a treat. Lately, though, the eggs have turned up destroyed and now I'm left to believe it is the cardinals doing the dirty work ... no problem, I don't want to interfere with nature, but also perplexing since this doesn't seem regular.

[Bummer]

Gotta agree with Marcy on this one . . . Doves are Bad News.

My Patio Home is small with an even smaller "beamed" overhang where the Doves nested, drove the other birds away and POOPED everywhere. A few years ago, a couple CDs or other "flashy" items hanging from the beams were recommended . . . VOILA, no more Doves and, above all, a poopless patio.

Personally, beTucsonan . . . I would consider the Cardinals a blessing.

[beTucsonan]

Originally Posted by Bummer

Personally, beTucsonan . . . I would consider the Cardinals a blessing.

Yeah - I'm not mad about it - it's just nature. It was just a surprising behavior to see, and then more surprising when I looked it up and it didn't appear to be normal.

[Marcy1210]

I've got to question the Cardinal's behaviour, because that's not something that's ever been seen by ornithologists. Doves will gather seed and keep it in their crop to digest later, kind of like squirrels or chipmunks gather seeds or acorns and fill their cheeks. They can regurgitate the seeds in their nests, and this might be what the Cardinals are going after. It's also unusual for doves to leave their nests unprotected. The male and female take turns sitting on the eggs, giving continuous warmth yet relieving the other to take a break. Doves feed their young "crop milk" (digested and regurgitated seeds) for the first few days, then bring seeds back to the nest. I suspect that the Cardinals have found an easy food source in the Dove's nests with the regurgitated seed. I think hanging a seed feeder away from the Dove's nests might keep the Cardinals away.

Like Bummer said, most people consider Doves as bad. They are the nearest relative of the extinct Carrier pigeon. And pigeons are known to be very dirty birds. I would be trying to keep the Cardinal and get rid of the Doves. But, to each his own!